A 17.5%-efficient PV tile for building-integrated solar rooftops
Roof Tiles Technology of the U.K. has developed a solar tile with a claimed efficiency of 17.5% and power output of 175 W per square meter. The company’s founder, Antonio Lanzoni, said a PV system featuring the product would cost 25% to 30% more than a standard solar rooftop.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 3.95 GW of new PV in Q1, new 500 W-plus modules, a panel with 23.2% efficiency
China’s cumulative installed PV capacity topped 208 GW at the end of March, thanks to 3.95 GW of new projects completed in the first quarter. JinkoSolar and Longi both joined the 500 W-plus module race, with their new panels offering 580 W and 530 W of output, respectively. Ginlong, meanwhile, has revealed plans to raise funds to increase its annual inverter production capacity to 20 GW, and Xi’An Solar has claimed a 23.2% efficiency rate for its N-type TOPCon modules in mass production.
A PV antenna for beaming solar power from space to Earth
Researchers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have launched the first orbital experiment with space-based solar power. They launched a 12-inch square photovoltaic module that is expected to test the viability of space-based solar power systems converting sunlight to microwaves outside the atmosphere.
Morning Brief: Trump administration slaps retroactive rent bills on solar, wind on federal lands
Also in the brief: Lightyear gets a key supplier, a nine-project network in New York, the 25th National Solar Tour of Homes and more.
Jinko launches PV module with record output of 580 W
The new module line can cut LCOE and reduce logistics cost for module transport.
SunPower sells off its O&M business to Clairvest, gets regulatory approval for Maxeon spinoff
SunPower has had to make fundamental changes to continue to be relevant in a solar industry very different from that of its roots. The company aims to become an energy service provider and is leaving low-cost manufacturing to its Chinese partner.
A new player appears in American thin-film cadmium telluride solar module manufacturing
Toledo Solar is trying to distinguish itself from First Solar’s cadmium telluride dominance by operating in the residential and commercial markets, markets which have been historically unkind to the technology.
500 W-plus panel race intensifies with JA Solar’s new module and Risen’s first shipment
Chinese manufacturer JA Solar has announced a new 525 W+ panel and said the product will be available from the second half. Domestic rival Risen has shipped the first batch of its high-powered modules and intends to stick to pre-Covid-19 plans to ramp up production.
SunPower had a ‘solid’ Q1, finds hope for May and June after a difficult April
It’s solar earnings season and there’s a clear, non-surprising theme: The first quarter was strong and largely unimpacted by the pandemic, but the second quarter and 2020 as a whole is uncertain.
First Solar earnings: strong Q1 and an uncertain 2020 guidance — like most every solar firm
“Despite the uncertain economic environment, demand for our Series 6 product remains strong, as evidenced by the 1.1 GWDC of net-bookings since our prior earnings call.”
